Preparation

Saute onions and garlic in oil with the sugar to caramelize. Add harissa, saffron, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir just until fragrant. Add water, tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Add the hearty vegetables first--carrots, turnips, parsnips or yams, leeks--cook for 10 minutes. Add eggplant and peppers cook for another 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas, raisins, spinach, raz el hanouf and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add the chopped cilantro and optional lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. It should be sweet and spicy. Toss the cooked couscous with the mint. For the sauce. Put the liquid, Harissa and carrots into a blender. Puree until smooth. Serve in four large soup bowls. Use a custard cup to make a mold of couscous in the middle of the bowl. Ladle the vegetables around the couscous. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and a dollop of Harissa sauce or serve the Harissa sauce in a small bowl on the side. Recipe by: Chef du Jour-Nora Poullion-DJ9200 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #584 by Sue on Apr 22, 1997